The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus for reading a document image fed by an automatic document feeder and registering the read image in a hard disk, for example.
In this type of image reading apparatus, the automatic document feeder (ADF) has a predetermined loading capacity. When a document whose total weight exceeds the loading capacity is registered as one document, successive reading is performed.
In the successive reading, the pages of the document placed on the ADF (i.e., the first bundle of the document) are read, during which the pages that should be subsequently read are designated. When these pages, i.e., another bundle (second bundle) of the document, are placed on the ADF and read, they are registered together with the first bundle of the document.
It should be noted that the first bundle and the second bundle are read under the same read conditions, and different read conditions cannot be determined for them.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which divides document images into two or more bundles for successive reading, and which enables different read conditions to be determined for different bundles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which divides document images into two or more bundles for successive reading, and which enables results of a read operation for each bundle to be confirmed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which divides document images into two or more bundles for successive reading, and which enables results of a read operation for each bundle to be edited.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an image reading apparatus which divides document images into two or more bundles for successive reading, and which can cope with an abnormal situation during the read operation for a bundle by restoring that bundle into the original state.
To achieve these objects, the present invention provides an image reading apparatus comprising: setting means for setting a sequential document in units of one bundle; settings-entering means for entering read settings for the document set by the setting means; reading means for sequentially reading each bundle of the document set by the setting means in units of one page on the basis of the read settings entered by the settings-entering means; recording means for recording image data on the document read by the reading means such that the image data corresponding to one bundle are recorded together; alteration means for altering the read settings entered by the settings-entering means when a second or subsequent bundle of the document is set by the setting means; and processing means for causing the reading means to read the document set by the setting means in units of one page and for causing resultant read images to be recorded by the recording means.
The present invention also provides an image reading apparatus comprising: setting means for setting a sequential document in units of one bundle; settings-entering means for entering read settings for the document set by the setting means; reading means for sequentially reading each bundle of the document set by the setting means in units of one page on the basis of the read settings entered by the settings-entering means; recording means for recording image data on the document read by the reading means such that the image data corresponding to one bundle are recorded together; and output means for outputting read results which represent how the reading means reads each bundle of the document and also outputting recording results which represent how the recording means operates.
Further, the present invention provides an image reading apparatus comprising: setting means for setting a sequential document in units of one bundle; settings-entering means for entering read settings for the document set by the setting means; reading means for sequentially reading each bundle of the document set by the setting means in units of one page on the basis of the read settings entered by the settings-entering means; recording means for recording image data on the document read by the reading means such that the image data corresponding to one bundle are recorded together; designation means for designating an alteration of an order in which the image data recorded by the recording means and corresponding to the bundles of the document are arranged; and alteration means for altering the order, in which the image data recorded by the recording means and corresponding to the bundles of the document are arranged, such that the order is based on the designation made by the designation means.
Still further, the present invention provides an image reading apparatus comprising: setting means for setting a sequential document in units of one bundle; settings-entering means for entering read settings for the document set by the setting means; reading means for sequentially reading each bundle of the document set by the setting means in units of one page on the basis of the read settings entered by the settings-entering means; recording means for recording image data on the document read by the reading means such that the image data corresponding to one bundle are recorded together; and processing means, operating when abnormality occurs during read processing which the reading means performs with respect to one of the bundles of the document, for deleting from the recording means image data corresponding to a bundle for which the abnormality occurs, and for restoring the bundle to the original state.
Moreover, the present invention provides an image reading apparatus comprising: setting means for setting a sequential document in units of one bundle; settings-entering means for entering read settings for the document set by the setting means; reading means for sequentially reading each bundle of the document set by the setting means in units of one page on the basis of the read settings entered by the settings-entering means; recording means for recording image data on the document read by the reading means such that the image data corresponding to one bundle are recorded together; first alteration means for altering the read settings entered by the settings-entering means when the setting means sets a second and subsequent bundles of the document; first processing means for causing the reading means to read the document set by the setting means such that the document is read in units of one page on the basis of the read settings altered by the first alteration means, and for controlling the recording means to record read images; output means for outputting read results which represent how the reading means reads each bundle of the document and also outputting recording results which represent how the recording means operates; designation means for designating an alteration of an order in which the image data recorded by the recording means and corresponding to the bundles of the document are arranged; second alternation means for altering an order in which the image data recorded by the recording means and corresponding to the bundles of the document are arranged; and second processing means, operating when abnormality occurs during read processing which the reading means performs with respect to one of the bundles of the document, for deleting from the recording means image data corresponding to a bundle for which the abnormality occurs, and for restoring the bundle to the original state.